Lawmakers flatten governor's veto of roadkill bill

CHRIS WETTERICH

Wednesday

Oct 26, 2011 at 12:01 AMOct 26, 2011 at 5:43 AM

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House flattened Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill that would allow people to pick up road kill on Wednesday. Representatives voted to 87-28 to override Quinn. House Bill 3178, of which state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, is a sponsor, now heads to the Senate for another vote. Senators passed the bill unanimously in May.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House flattened Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill that would allow people to pick up road kill on Wednesday.

Representatives voted to 87-28 to override Quinn. House Bill 3178, of which state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, is a sponsor, now heads to the Senate for another vote. Senators passed the bill unanimously in May.

Quinn vetoed the bill because he was worried picking up road kill was dangerous.

“I cannot support a measure that places the citizens of our state in harm’s way and encourage the sponsors of this bill to consider appropriate safety measures in subsequent legislation,” Quinn wrote in his veto message.

But lawmakers said the governor was overreacting. Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, said it could be just as dangerous to have motorists swerve to avoid running over road kill.

“I have a little more faith in the average driver in this state than our governor,” Eddy said. “This is the same governor who seems to not understand other rural issues like transportation.”

Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago, wondered why there was less interest in road kill in her city.

“In Chicago, we see a lot of fur-bearing squirrels and nobody picks them up,” Davis said.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, said that’s because many people who want to pick up road kill intend to sell the fur. Fur from a squirrel might yield 25 cents at the most, she said.

“The only thing of value is the tail. People are not really concerned with picking them up,” she said.

Chris Wetterich can be reached at (217) 788-1523.

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